RE: WHO GETS THE OYO APC GUBER TICKET IN 2023; THINGS THAT REALLY COUNT | By Adéọlá Adelabu
The race for the APC ticket for the Oyo state Gubernatorial election seemed to have kicked off with the article credited to one Bimbo Alasela, and published in the Nigerian Tribune (print and online editions) of Sunday, 6th June 2021, which narrowed the race to 3 (actually 2) aspirants but which also had the handwritings of one of the so-called leading aspirants.
Ordinarily, one wouldn’t be bothered by the ranking, which is the right of the author to view things from his own perspective. However, when history is being re-written, when lies are being rehearsed and when the embers of discord are being fanned, an intervention becomes necessary.
Oyo APC has no business being in opposition today if it had kept its house in order. The party, since 2017, has paraded some of the finest Gubernatorial aspirants Oyo has ever had, with intimidating credentials. They include Management Consultants, Technology gurus, Erudite Professionals, Academic Professors etc. The party failed itself with internal wrangling, and needless fights. While men of goodwill are working to consolidate the relative peace currently being enjoyed in the party, Alasela’s paymaster wants to bring the house down because of his failing ambition.
It is easy to decipher that the article by Alasela is targeted at one aspirant, who he described as a dark horse, but who in reality poses the greatest headache to Alasela and those he serves. It also is not a coincidence that Joseph Tegbe was the only ‘Dark Horse’ published in the paper version of the newspaper, while others only made the online edition.
Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, a technology guru, government advisor and management consultant entered the gubernatorial race with a bang in 2018. Tegbe, within a few months, travelled round the 33 LGs of the state, consulting with party elders, community leaders and critical stakeholders. His message was precise and penetrating, Consolidation and Sustainable Development to Make Oyo First Again. His acceptability was boosted by his intimidating credentials, and more importantly, his Omoluabi traits. It is pedestrian reasoning to assume that the Tegbe campaign made impact simply because he had, according to the author, the support of former Governor Ajimobi and Mrs Ogunesan. Although Tegbe was prevailed upon to step down in 2018, it was obvious he was not going away. Through his Tegbe Foundation, he has continued to make impact in the state and has vowed to do more. For Tegbe, being a Governor would only increase his capacity to impact, and set Oyo on the path of development worthy of her Pacesetter status.
The talks of Tegbe falling out with the Ajimobi family lies in the realm of imagination of Alasela. Unlike his paymasters, Tegbe does not need to visit the Ajimobi family with a camera or retinue of hangers-on. The Ajimobi political family, and indeed most party leaders know the character and capacity of the different aspirants, including those who served in the Ajimobi government but were eased out. It would take more than paid articles to alter this perception.
Thankfully, Alasela could not find anything incriminating against Tegbe. For a man who has worked at top-level for a long time, it is no mean feat to have zero scandals. Alasela had no words to challenge Tegbe’s character either, as testimonies abound about Tegbe’s accessibility, humility and generosity which is unmatched by any of the current aspirants within the APC. Most importantly, Alasela did not question Tegbe’s competence to do the job in question, as he possesses the pedigree, moral standard and emotional intelligence required for Oyo’s top job. This is more important to party leaders, delegates and the voting populace.
People like Alasela’s paymaster need to exercise caution, before they are seen as the Alaseju that they really are!
_Adéọlá writes from Oluyole, Ibadan._
